Turbine-shaft packing.



NQL 845,701-1 v PATBNTED FEB. 26, 1907. J. L. MOORE.

TURBINE SHAFT PACKING.

APPLIUA IIIIIIIIII AR. 111111 e.

packing applicable to this class of machines `V3,5

'betw een thel shalt and thevcasing at that the turbine, so to completely exclude theiirirnn sT-ATiEs PATENT Orrion.

JAMES L. "if

EINE

OORE, or wiiti'isviiitannw YORK, lissiGNoR To KERRTUR- intuir, or wELLsviLLEyNEW YORK, A CORPORATION or` rename-SHAFT PACKING..

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed Merch 15, 1906. Serial No. 306,139.

To all whom it may concern:

`Be it known that l, JAMES L. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at `v\v"ellsville,l inthe county of'Allegany and' State of New York, have invented certainv new andy useful Improvements in Shaft-4 Packings for Steam-'1 urbines or the Like, of which the follow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to liquid-sealed pack'- ing-gland for rotary Shaft-s or spindles, and more particularly to means for packing the shafts or spindles olf elasiicfl'luid turbines, as shown, l'oi' example, in the Patent No. 798,105, to Charles V. Kerr, dated August 2o, i905.

Many dilliculties 'have been encountered in producing paekiiigs for shafts orspindles ol elastic-fluid turbines and compressors, as the conditions arc somewhat peculiar. The rapidl 'yrotatiiig shafts or spindles oi vthis class of iiiacliiiios are liable to and do distort, and for this reason a perfect alincinent cannot be maintained. 'llie diilerenccs in pressure betw een the interior and exterior of the easings of these machines make a tight joint ciency of the turbine.

My invention consists of structural features and relative arrangement of' elements, which will be hereinafter more fully and clearly described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the one sheet of ldrawing, in which similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the figures, biguie 1 is a longitudinal section of the packing., show ing only a fragment of the exhaust end of theturbine-casing'immediately surround# ing that'end of the si'iai't. big. Zis a trans-v verse section on line 2' 2 of Fig. 1.

` As the invention is equally applicable to turbines or compressors or any Otlier'similar machines inw hiclililre conditions exist, 1 may represent the rotary shaft of any such machine, which extends through any suitable Opening 2 in the usual casing 5,01 which only the adjoining section is indicated. inserted in said shan-opening Q are two fixed and sections 4 4', w hicli may be made or bronze or other suitable metal and are provided point wliei'etlie shalt extends through the with outer tlanges 5 5 for the purpose of casing necessary, and the high speed of rota- .tion required for the economic running make it impossible to satisfactorily pack the shaft, as heretofore done when relatively low speeds 'are encountered.

An object of this invention is. to provide a ,by means Ofqsuitablebolts 6 6.

7 7 are small bolts for securing the two semi-annular gland-sections 4 4 together and, as indicated in i ig. 2, are made to pass down into pockets 8 8, one on either side of the upper section. 4. of eacii of the gland-sections 4 4 are formed a series of semi-ai'inular ridges 9 9, which are separated by a channel 1U and smaller channels 11 11 and so arranged and proporwliich w ill eii'ectually pack against considerable di'llcrences ol pressure bctu een the interior and exterior of the casingtliat is, a packing which will ei'lectiially prevent the escape Ol the motive fluid from the interior of the casing il the pressure on the interior is greater than atmospheric pressure and w ill pack against atmospheric pressure it the pressure at the interior of the exhaust end Oi'- the easing is less than atmospheric pressure, as where the .turbine is connected to a condenser approaching' a vacuum.

' A further object is to make an air-tight seal 'around the shalt at 4the `eidiaust ond ol 4 are ,in the saine transverse vertical planes and register M itli those O'i tire section 4.

`5urrouiiding the shalt 1 and attached is an annular ruimer v15, which rotates in the direction of the arrow a in big. 2 andisprovided en its outcrsurlace adjacent to the inner semi-annular surfaces er .theglandsec and tile smaller channels lo 16. On one of the upright races' of the ridges 14 14 ar; 'formed a series ci separated lateral vanes or airl'i'oin'tlie turbine where a high vacuum is employed, and at the saine time provide a packing in which the friction is reduced to a l `minimum in order to maintain a uniloi'ni-l higlirrotary speed and perfect alineinent of' the shaft, so as to develop the highest ellitioned that the ridges and channels ol' section i separable semi-annular tightly-fitting glandj holding them to the inner side of the casing Un the inner surface thereto by any suitable fastening means 12 IOO tions 4 4/ with. a series oi annular ridges4 141V 14, which are separated by the ohaime'l 15 projections 17 17, (see,y ll`ig.'2,) each of which 1, f ias one oi' its laces radial or straight and the other face on a curve for reasons to be hereinafter described, The gland-sections 4 4 and rotary runner 13 are so arranged and repassage-ways are arranged so as to be connected with any suitable supply of fluid under pressure which is capable of' being regulated or controlled.

v is a cap secured in any manner tothe exterior of the casing andloosely fitted. about the shaft 1.

21 is a chamber formed between the outside of the casing 1 and the inner side of the cap 20 and communicates with the interior of the shaft-packing and receives any leakageA of fiuid which may pass through the clearance formed between the fixed glandsections 4 4 and the rotary ruimer 13.

22 is an outlet in the cap 20, lirougli which the leakage passing into chamber 21 may freely out into a suitable receptacle or forced under pressure through suitable piping back into the passage-ways 1S) 19 to be againpsed tu maintain the air-tight seal.

The operation of the invention is as follows: Assuming the turbine to be in operationv and the shaft 1 and runner 13 rotating in the direction of the arrow a, the scaling fluid is supplied and maintained under 'such pressure in passage ways 19. 19 and. channels 10 as to have a tendencyto pass between the clearance-spaces between the gland-sections 4 4 and the ruimer 13. The sealing fluid being forced into the channels 10 and 11,11, the varies or projections 17 17 act like the blades f a centrifugal punip to throw or beat the sealing fluid back against the constant head of pressure. By this arrangement it will be seen that there is constantiv maintained a film `of sealing fluid under pressure in the clearance-spaces'between.the runner 13 securely fixed to the shaft, and gland-sections 4 thereby effectually forming an air-tight seal at all times between the inner and outer sections of the'turbine-casing.' As 'will be seen by reference toFig. l, I have placed three sets of vanos or. projections on the end of the runner A13 next to the condensing or vacuum end of the turbine-casing, and this is for the purposeof' overcom ing the greater dil'- ference of pressure between the vsealing fluid. and that at the vacuum end ol' the turbine, and therefore the increased tendency of the seal'- iiig fuid from boing drawn or sucked into the turbine-casing. The end of the packing which is next to the exterior of the casing or air is only provided with two sets of varies or projections, since the'difi'ercnce of the pressure is net so great as at the end near the vacuum, and consequently not so much effort or force is required to push back the sealing fluid. The pressure or head of the sealing fluid that is maintained against the air side during the operation of the runner is just sullicient to force the sealing fluid throu h and show in the air side. Should any lejage of the sealing fluid take place onthe vacuum side of the runner, it would be readily carried off by and mingle with the exhauststeam, and while have shown two and three sets of vanos or projections on the runner this number and ratio may be readily val' vried to sint each particular case-and forms nov essential part of my invention.

The manner of assembling and arranging the packing to the casing and shaft can be readily understood and will not need further description, and while I have .shown and deribed my preferred form I do .not wish to limit myself to these specific constructions and arrangements, as they could be modified' in many ways without departing from the spirit of' my'invciition and accomplish the same results.

Having now fully described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure` by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A turbine-shaft packing comprising a turbine-casing provided with a shaft-opening and a rotary shaft extending through said lOO opening, an annular ruimer surrounding theA shaft and rotating .therewith and provided with channelsv and two distinct sets of ridges, each set of ridges having vanes oppositely arranged with respect to those of the other set, an annular channel interposed between the two sets of ridges,two stationary semicircular giaiid-sections inserted in the shaftopening of the turbine-casing and surround- Iing the runner and having inner annular channels and ridges adapted to register respectively with the ridges and channels of the runner, a passage-way in one of said gland-sections adapted to communicate with the annular channel in the runner separating the two rsets of ridges, and means for connecting the said annular channel and channels of the gland-sections with a source of fluid-pressure.

2. A turbine-shaft packing comprising a turbine-casing'provided with a shaft-opening and a rotary shaft extendingv` through said opening, an annular runner surround ing the shaft and rotating therewith and provided with channels and two sets of'i'idges, each set ol' ridges having vanos oppositely disposed with respect lo those of the other set, an annular channel interposed between the two -sets ol ridges, an annular stationary gland samer inserted in the shaftgopeningoi the turbine casing and surrounding the runner and havfng lnner annular channels and ridges adapted to registerrespectively with the ridges and channels of the runner, a passage-way in the gland adapted rtol ,connntuncate with the annular ehanneliin' the runner separating the two sets of ridges, and means for connecting the said annular channel and channels of the glandeetions with a source of Huid-pressure. 3. 't'urlnne-shalt packing conlprislng a tiirbiiie-easing provided lwith a shaft-opening',

and a ngl'tary shaft extending. through said opening, an annular runner surrounding the shaft and rotating ther'ewith and provided with channelsV and two distinct sets ol ridges,

each set of ridges having vanos oppositely arranged with respect tojthose of the other set, an annular channel interposed between the tivo sets o1e ridges, an annular stai ionar)T gland .inserted in the shaft-owning of the turbine-casing and surrounding the runner and l'iaving inner annular channels and ridges adapted to register respectively with the ridges and channels of the runner', a passagef uay in the gland adapted to communicate .with the annular channel in the uunner separating the two sets ofiidges and connect the V same with a sourcejoi fluid-pressure, and

cap attached to the""'ext'eiior of the turbinecasing about the shaft-opening and forming a chamber adaptedfto receive the leakage 'freni the shaft-packing.

1i. 5A turbine-shaft lpacking comprising a ,LUrbine-casing provided Vwitlra shaft-opening vind a rotary shaft extending through said.

opening, an annular stationary gland insertr ed inthe shaft-opening ofthe turbine-casing, having inner annular channels and rldges, an

,annular ruimer surrounding the shaft and rotating herewith and provided with channels and tuo sets of ridges, each set of ridges having vanes oppositely disposed with respect to those .of the .other set, said Varies being of such length radially as to becompletely overlapped by' the ridges of the annular stationary gland, an annular channel interposed between the two sets of rid es, and means for connecting the said annu ar channels of the gland-sections with a souree'of fluid-pressure.

A turbine-shaft packing comprising a turbine-casing provided 1with a shaft-opening and a rotary shaft extending through said opening an annular stationary gland insertof ridges having vanes optween the two sets of ridges, and means for connecting the said annular channels of the gland-sections with a source of Huid-pressure. In testimony vvhereotl i alix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES L. MUORE. Witnesses E. A. Rrirnnonn,

VVM.-D. APPLnnEE. 

